Grilled Chicken Margherita

Marinated and grilled chicken is smothered with mozzarella cheese, basil pesto sauce, and fresh cherry tomatoes for Margherita-style flavor. Delicious over a salad, on a bun as a sandwich, with garlic bread, or over pesto pasta.

Grilled chicken margherita is a summery dinner idea that combines the smoky goodness of grilled chicken with the fresh flavors of a classic margherita pizza.

This chicken goes well with pasta tossed in pesto sauce or you can enjoy it on a bun as a sandwich. It's great sliced over a salad or try it between two pieces of garlic bread!

★ Why You'll Love this Recipe ★

This margherita-style grilled chicken is the perfect recipe for warm summer nights that can be dressed up for guests or enjoyed on the patio casually. Loaded with fresh ingredients and plenty of flavor, it’s a chicken recipe you’ll keep coming back to.

With a perfectly balanced smoky but fresh flavor, this grilled margherita chicken is infused with flavor from a garlic-oregano marinade. The chicken is grilled to perfection so it's juicy and tender (just make sure you use that meat thermometer!). Pesto sauce, mozzarella cheese, cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil adds the perfect pop of flavor.

Each bite of chicken comes with a smoky flavor, gooey melted cheese, and fresh bursts of pesto and tomatoes. Though there are a few steps involved, this margherita chicken recipe comes together easily and is very versatile as far as how you serve it — as a sandwich or with sides.

Fresh flavor: The perfect flavor pairing for warm days this chicken dinner is loaded with fresh ingredients and bright bursts of flavor.

Healthy: Lots of chicken, herbs, and vegetables are what bring this dinner together. It uses simple ingredients and packs a punch of protein.

Delicious leftovers: The leftover chicken can be enjoyed again as-is or used on top of something like a salad or wrap for a quick lunch.

★ Ingredients You'll Need ★

This recipe is quite simple! You can make your own pesto or save time and use store bought.

Here's at look at everything you'll need:

Chicken breasts: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts work well here. I like to use cutlets for thinner pieces of meat that grill more quickly and evenly. If you are starting with thicker breasts, consider slicing them in half lengthwise to thin them out. You can also use a meat tenderizer to flatten them to a consistent thickness. It takes extra time, but this really ensures tender meat that's evenly cooked.

Seasonings: From your spice cupboard you’ll need salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and oregano. You’ll also need some olive oil for it all to come together.

Mozzarella cheese: Opt for sliced mozzarella as it’s easier and keep in mind that other cheeses like provolone, feta or gruyere can work as well. Experiment and see what you like best, or go with what you have on hand.

Basil pesto: You can use homemade pesto if you have some on hand or whichever your favorite brand is from the store. Try my spinach-basil pesto sauce recipe.

Fresh ingredients: You need cherry or grape tomatoes and chopped basil to garnish the grilled chicken.

★ How to Make this Recipe ★

This chicken is simple to prep in a few steps:

• Slice and tenderize chicken.
• Marinate chicken.
• Grill chicken.
• Top each breast with mozzarella slice and let melt.
• Spread pesto onto each piece of chicken.
• Top with cherry tomatoes and fresh basil to serve.

Simple!

★ Tips & FAQs ★

Variations

If you like spice, top the chicken with some red pepper flakes.

Additional toppings: Try adding artichokes, black olives, roasted garlic (powder or paste), flaky sea salt, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, and/or dollops of ricotta cheese.

How do I prevent chicken from sticking to the grill?

Before you preheat your grill, oil the grill grates before you place the chicken on. To do this, use a paper towel dipped in oil and run it over the grates with tongs or spray generously with non-stick cooking spray.

How do I know when chicken is cooked through?

Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature of your chicken. You want it to reach 165ºF to be safe for consumption.

How do you keep the grilled chicken moist?

Be sure that the chicken does not overcook past this temperature or the chicken can quickly dry out. Likewise, letting it sit a few minutes before serving makes it so that all the flavors settle, and the juices disperse, helps too.

Can I use frozen chicken instead of fresh?

Yes. Just be sure chicken is thawed before cooking. If you need to thaw chicken quickly, place it in a room temperature water bath until softened.

How do I store leftover margherita chicken?

Let it cool fully before storing it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Though the chicken itself will freeze well, the toppings should be scraped off as they won’t freeze and thaw with a great texture.

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